TacDemo

The jet team/military demo schedules are the highlight of each annual International Council of Airshows (ICAS) convention, but the military forums and presentations also have some interesting bits of info for fans. This year the Navy forum in particular yielded some very interesting and exciting news items.

First, the F/A-18C Hornet (AKA Baby Hornet or Legacy Hornet) demos appear to be a thing of the past. All F-18 demonstrations in 2018 will be either F/A-18E or F/A-18F Super Hornets. As in the past, they will be flown by a West Coast team out of NAS Lemoore, CA and an East Coast team out of NAS Oceana, VA. The F/A-18E demos will only be flown by Lemoore crews.

Second, and maybe the biggest news of the forum; Legacy Flights might be back! The presentation includes the requirements for a show to host a Legacy Flight, and says the performance will consist of a short profile similar to that flown in the past. Legacy Flights have not been regularly performed for years now, although a Super Hornet and Corsair formation flight was arranged at the Cleveland airshow this past September. No word yet on what warbirds might be among the approved performers.

The third major takeaway from the forum is that there appears to be no limit on Navy static displays in 2018! Each year since sequestration (2013) has seen the military branches place limits on how many of their aircraft could be approved for static display at each airshow. This has gradually been lifted each year and thankfully it appears to be a nonissue in 2018; static display ramps may be a little fuller this summer!

The schedule for the F-18 demonstrations is not expected to be released for a while, but the the teams are approved for 46 airshows total. As noted, we are currently seeking some more information on these topics and will post any updates that we receive!

Visitors to the Cleveland National Airshow this past Labor Day weekend were treated to a special sight – a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet and World War II-era F4U Corsair flying together! The pair performed several formation flybys before landing, then taxied together at show center and folded their wings to show their common bond as carrier-based fighters. Check out the entire performance in our video above!

This sort of sight used to be fairly commonplace through the US Navy Tailhook Legacy Flight program, which is similar to the US Air Force’s Heritage Flight program. Unfortunately the budget cuts of recent years stopped not only the Legacy Flights, but also the Hornet demonstrations themselves. As the TACDEMO teams return to full prominence on the airshow circuit, there is hope that these formations can again be flown regularly.

Don’t forget to also watch our video of the full Super Hornet aerobatic demonstration from Cleveland!

The U.S. Navy’s East Coast TAC Demo squadron, VFA-106 Gladiators, recently introduced a commemorative paint scheme for their F/A-18C “Legacy Hornet” demo jet. The new paint scheme celebrates the legacy of VFA-15 Valions, which is scheduled to formally deactivate on May 31, 2017. The demo jet markings are representative of VA-15 while flying A-7E Corsair IIs during the 1970s. VA-15 transitioned to F/A-18s in January of 1987 and was subsequently re-designated VFA-15.

The jet made its public debut March 10-12 at the Tico Warbird Airshow held annually at the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida. The event was the team’s first of the 2017 airshow season. Lt. Scott “MacGruber” Lindahl piloted the jet for all three demonstrations of the weekend, much to the surprise and delight of the crowd. Overall, the jet was very well received and was the subject of much discussion due to the jet’s retro 1970s paint scheme.

The jet is a fitting tribute to the men and women currently serving in VFA-15, and provides honor and respect for all who served the mighty Valions during the squadron’s storied 75 year history.

– Shawn Yost

EDIT: Our comments include some credit for the paint scheme:All of us in the VFA-15 Corrosion Workcenter painted the jet that paint scheme, the original A/C Modex was 301. The night before it came out from the paint hangar there onboard NAS OCEANA & was on display at my Navy Retirement Ceremony on Nov. 18, [2016]. I was the LPO for 12C Work Center & all my guys did a Fantastic JOB painting the jet. I like to give them the credit & they are as follows: Jared Paul Bowen, Yisus Vlzqz, Wayne Ragas, Jordan Soltis, Huy G Tran, Sean Collins, Narciso Diaz & Brent Fore

The United States Navy has released the 2017 schedule for the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet demonstration teams! Their schedule does not specify which airshows are getting which type of aircraft, but we will update this post with that information when we get it.

Will you see the Hornet/Super Hornet in 2017? Let us know! Post on our Facebook page and in our forums, and make sure you share pictures after the show!

Jet team schedules are not the only exciting news for fans to come out of the annual ICAS convention this week. Representatives from the US Navy and the US Air Force both gave presentations outlining their services plans for supporting airshows in 2016, and there is some very good news for fans eager to see more military involvement. Here are the important details from the Navy; we’ll cover the USAF in detail tomorrow.

F-18 Tactical Demonstrations

Both F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet tactical demonstration teams will be participating in 46 (up from 20 in 2015) airshows in 2016. As in years past, the East Coast team will come from VFA-106 at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The West Coast team will be from VFA-122 at NAS Lemoore in California. The TACDEMO teams are intending to perform only at airshows where the Blue Angels are not performing, in an effort to maximize the visibility of the Navy recruiting efforts. That said, we fully expect the VFA-106 teams to perform alongside the Blue Angels at their home show at Oceana, as they have for years. No word is given on when the TACDEMO schedules can be expected.

Legacy Flights

Not to be forgotten is the previously announced news that the Tailhook Legacy Flights, which pair Navy warbirds with current fighters, will be returning in 2016.

Leap Frogs

The US Navy Leap Frogs parachute team is also authorized to perform at up to 27 shows this year, although it is unclear if their many High School and sporting event appearances will count against that total. There is no word yet on when their schedule can be expected.

Static Displays

The other major news in the presentation is that restrictions on Navy static displays are being lifted in 2016. Previously they had been severely limited due to the sequestration budget cuts. Only 10 civilian shows were approved for statics in 2015. Happily, static displays will be unrestricted starting with this season!

These are all very exciting developments, and certainly indicate that military participation can be expected to rise in the near future. Let’s hope the good news continues!

Stay tuned for more developments and the performance schedules as we get them.

Updated (3/15/15): The US Navy Tac Demo Facebook page has released the break down of C, E, and F model demonstrations during the seaon. We have rearranged the schedule below to more clearly display the lineup for each model. NAS Oceana will of course feature both the F/A-18C and F/A-18F demos, as VFA-106 is based there.

Original post: A number of you fans out there have been anticipating the release of the US Navy’s F-18 Hornet Demo schedule for this year’s air show season. Today it was finally released, so without further adieu, here is where you can find your Hornet fix this year:

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